'We just want somebody to look for her'

Haleigh Cummings' grandma: 'We just want somebody to look for her'
On Haleigh Cummings' sixth birthday, Texas EquuSearch founder said he will search for the missing girl once again.
Amy L. Edwards Sentinel Staff Writer
11:27 a.m. EDT, August 17, 2009

On the day that Haleigh Cummings' family should joyously be celebrating her sixth birthday, her relatives instead sat teary eyed inside an Orlando law firm and made another plea for the public to help find her.

Haleigh vanished from her Putnam County home in February after her father's girlfriend put her to bed.

Today, her family plans to release balloons containing her missing person flier. Haleigh's grandma, Teresa Neves, said she hopes someone will see the flier, spot Haleigh, and call law enforcement.

"Haleigh is a sweetheart," said Neves, who joined high-profile lawyer Mark NeJame and Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller at a mid-morning press conference.

"We just want somebody to look for her," she said. They want Haleigh to come home.

And NeJame and Miller want to help.

NeJame called the press conference to announce that EquuSearch will help search for Haleigh once more. They won't search immediately though, because the vegetation is too thick.

Miller said it may be another six weeks to two months before his volunteers will scour the area once more for Haleigh.

"My heart's breaking for them," said Miller. "This is one day that they did not want to go through without Haleigh here, and that's her birthday."

Neves teared up during Miller's comments.

Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, said little during the press conference. He said the past few months have been "extremely hard."

NeJame said not a lot of public attention has been paid to Haleigh's disappearance. When Neves reached out to the lawyer to help garner publicity for the case, NeJame said, "My heart went out to her."

"Her grief was apparent," he said.

NeJame said all leads are being explored, and some areas need to be searched better.

Miller said the search may also be expanded.

"We want to do everything we can do to make sure that they do not go through the next birthday without having Haleigh back home safely, or without having the remains and having that funeral," he said.

Amy L. Edwards can be reached at aledwards@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5735.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-bk-haleigh-cummings-update-081709,0,6353651.story